


Guns and American Football

by CamilleNicole



Category: Eyeshield 21, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Family, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, American Football, Friendship, Italian Mafia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-28
Updated: 2013-03-21
Packaged: 2017-11-04 11:13:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/393189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CamilleNicole/pseuds/CamilleNicole
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dino's son, Gino, was kidnapped at the young age of 2. Nobody seems to know where he is. 15 years later, the Japanese high school football league decides that all players need a blood test to be in accordance with the FRA - the results are surprising.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I do not claim to have any knowledge of the mafia, yakuza, or any other crime-related terms mentioned in this fanfiction. As you should know, this is a crossover between Eyeshield 21 and Katekyou Hitman Reborn - the latter meaning those terms will be used regardless. All knowledge of mafia and American football comes from the two anime and may or may not be accurate. 
> 
> Fandoms may be added if actual characters from a certain series ever makes an appearance for more than one or two chapters. The fanon FRA (Family Reconstruction Act) does not belong to me and was originally created for the Gundam Wing fandom - this does not mean the story will turn into a Gundam Wing crossover.
> 
> If you recognize this from FanFiction.Net, it's because I was the original writer and decided to post it here.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: Eyeshield 21 and Katekyou Hitman Reborn do not belong to me. This is completely made-up.

** Dino's Point of View **

I was sitting in my office doing paperwork when I suddenly heard a strange noise coming from my two-year-old son's room. So many things were running through my head at that very moment.

_Is he okay?_  
 _Did somebody break in?_  
 _How the fuck did somebody get past security?_

I quickly ran over to my son's room to make sure he was safe...what I encountered wasn't a pleasant sight.

The room had been ransacked...and my son was nowhere to be seen.

I screamed out his name, "GINO!"

No answer.

I called out to my most faithful subordinate, "Romario!"

He quickly came over, along with some of my other subordinates, and said, "Yes, boss?"

I calmly told him, "My son has just been kidnapped," and then raised my voice and ordered, "Find him! Search another country if you have to. Just fucking find him!"

He nodded, "Yes, sir. I'll get started right away."

* * *

***five months later***

Romario came into my office with a solemn look on his face. He cleared his throat a few times, as if what he was going to tell me would be the exact opposite of what I wanted. Finally, he said, "Sir...none of our contacts have been able to find him. It seems as if he's fallen off the face of the earth."

I growled at him, "Are you saying my son has disappeared?"

He nodded, "It's either that or he's dead."

I shook my head, and said, "I refuse to believe that. Maybe we can't find him now, but sooner or later, we'll find him." I paused for a moment, and then continued, "You don't have to continue looking, but I won't stop searching for him. I might not be able to physically search for him, but he's bound to pop up somewhere...it's just a matter of time." I paused again and then told him, "Tell Vongola Decimo to keep an eye out for someone that seems out of place in his family, specifically people that seem to have a lot of Cavallone traits."

He replied, "Will do, sir. However, Vongola Decimo should be just as busy as you are...perhaps we should contact some others as well..."

I yelled at him, "NO! Tsuna and his family are the only other people I would trust with this."

He sighed, "Okay, sir. I'll contact the Vongola immediately."


	2. My dad's alive!

** Haruto's Point of View **

"Yes, I finally swam a whole kilo!" I yelled with excitement, before I looked at Shin in the lane next to my own. It seemed like he had swam a lot more than I had despite the fact we started at the exact same time.

In case it wasn't obvious, our football team was using the pool for practice today. My stamina paled in comparison to Shin's - which should be obvious since he's just swam more than one kilometer, but this was my first time being able to even complete a kilometer while swimming.

Sometimes I hate him. It's probably just jealousy, but there are some days where I just want to kill him; fortunately, there are very few of those days.

However, if I were completely honest with myself I'd be able to look over the difference in our abilities because that's not the real reason behind my jealousy.

Whenever his parents come to games, they're there to cheer him on. They don't care if we win or lose, as long as he does his best. They act like a real family.

My parents, on the other hand, are the complete opposite. It's obvious that they care about me, but I'm wondering why they care at all. Even when our team wins, it's not like I'm the one that scored the touchdown or made the field goal. It's usually Shin or one of the other receivers making the touchdowns every goddamn time. Normally, a parent would be happy that their child was able to even play...but not my parents. They yell at me asking why I wasn't able to catch that pass, or get past that lineman - or whatever they feel like yelling at me for. It's like nothing ever pleases them.

People ask all the time if the three of us are even related. At first, it surprised me - mostly because Suzaku and Ayana have been raising me for as long as I can remember. As I got older, though, I realized something.

They're nothing like me. I have blond hair, but Suzaku and Ayana both have black hair. My eyes are light brown, while Suzaku's eyes are green and Ayana's are blue. They both seem to be naturals at sports, while I actually have to work at it - and I'm still worse than the majority of my teammates.

Honestly, I wonder how Monta-kun does it. Everyone at his school only pays attention to Sena-kun, more commonly known as Eyeshield 21, but he still seems so cheerful. Yet, here I am moping about the fact that my parents probably aren't even my parents.

More importantly, if Suzaku and Ayana aren't my parents - then why aren't I living with my real parents...it makes no sense. Are they dead or something? If they are, then I won't get mad since there would be nobody to yell at, anyway. I guess I'd be upset if they were actually alive though. I mean, if they're alive, then why couldn't they try finding me?

Shogun's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "Alright, everyone. I've just received a notice from the league. Apparently, all players are being required to take a blood test because of the recently passed Family Reconstruction Act. I honestly don't see the point in it, since if any of us really wanted to, we could just do it ourselves - but anybody that doesn't do it is ineligible for the Kanto Tournament. They say that 'some people might have been tricked to believe all their relatives are dead or that they might not care' - of course, I think it's bullshit, but it's required so get on the bus now!"

Wait...Family Reconstruction Act? I never heard about this...maybe this is my chance to find out if I'm really not Suzaku and Ayana's son.

***on the bus***

Takami-senpai asked me, "Are you alright, Sakuraba-kun?"

I nodded and said, "Of course, why wouldn't I be?"

He sighed, "It's just that you've been acting weird since the Shogun brought up that Family Reconstruction Act back at school."

I replied, "Oh...that. Well, you know how everyone always acts surprised when my family introduces each other. They always say stuff like 'is he really your son?' or they'll say 'there is no way those two are your parents' - and to be honest, I just want to find out once and for all. My whole life has been like this. Plus, if they're not my real parents, and my real parents are somewhere else - then I can ask my real parents why they didn't bother looking for me...I guess that's what's really on my mind."

Otawara-senpai decided to cut in, "I doubt your parents didn't try looking for you."

Takami-senpai agreed with Otawara-senpai, "He's right. Chances are, your parents did try finding you but kept arriving at dead ends. They're probably hoping that you'll pop up somewhere."

Shogun's voice could be heard throughout the whole bus, "We're here - now get off so we can get this thing over with!"

The whole team proceeded to walk off of the bus.

***at Preventers HQ***

Shogun asked the lady leading us into the building, "Why couldn't we just go to a normal doctor's office?"

The lady replied, "They don't have access to the international database. Now, if you'll let us start, you'll be out of here a lot faster. We'll be going in alphabetical order."

One-by-one, we all had our blood taken. Most of us just relaxed afterwards, but I was actually getting quite anxious. If there was a hit, maybe I could ditch Suzaku and Ayana. My real parents would let me live with them, right?

Shogun was muttering to himself, "Goddammit! They should have told us we'd have to stay here so they can actually test the DNA."

That's when the nurse came out. She said, "One of you actually had a match."

Shogun looked up and asked, "Who?"

The nurse sighed, "Sakuraba Haruto."

The whole team - with the exception of Shin, Takami, and I - was in shock. I asked the nurse, "What? Who are they? More importantly, where are they?"

The nurse said, "Calm down. I have the file right here, but I'll tell you right now that your mother is dead." Then, she handed me the file.

Shogun glared at me, as if he was ordering me to open it - so I did just that. Like the nurse said, my mother, Cavallone Shizuka was dead - and it looks like it happened during childbirth, so I guess that's my fault.

However, the name of my father was what surprised me.

Cavallone Dino.

I looked at my teammates. Takami looked shocked, yet happy, at the revelation. I asked him what he was thinking about.

He smiled and said, "Looks like Otawara and I were right. Your parents did look for you." He paused for a moment, "My uncle was told by his boss, who was asked by an old friend, to look for someone that didn't seem to fit in with the family they lived with."

His smile turned into a frown, "I guess you won't be competing in the Kanto Tournament."

I was shocked by his statement. "What do you mean? Of course I'm competing!"

He shook his head, "Your father was probably contacted already. From what my uncle says, there's no way he'd let you stay in Japan." He paused and sighed, "He'll most likely take you to Italy - where you should have been raised."

I grimaced. Then I said, "Maybe I can convince him to let me stay...if I stay with one of his friends, then it shouldn't be too bad, right?"

A new voice said, "I'm afraid there's only a few people I'd be willing to trust with your safety."

All of us turned around. My eyes widened, and out of my peripherals, I could see that my teammates' eyes had widened as well. They seemed to have noticed something about this person too...

He looked exactly like me, just older.


	3. Please be wrong

** Haruto's Point of View **

I asked the man, "Who are you?"

He smiled at me, "Isn't it obvious?"

Then, I remembered the file the nurse had given me. I stuttered a bit, "Cavallone-san...?"

He nodded, "Yes."

I raised my voice at him, "Why do I have to leave? What's wrong with staying here? All my friends are here, and..."

He raised his eyebrow, "And?" He paused for a while before continuing, "I understand you have friends Haruto - but you've technically been missing for the past fifteen years. I was supposed to start preparing you to take over the family business when you were fourteen, so that's three years down the drain."

It was my turn to ask the questions. "What family business?"

He looked around the room before saying, "That's not something that should be discussed so openly."

I shook my head, "No. If you have something to say to me, you can say it in front of my friends!"

He sighed, "As much as I'd like to believe you, I can't. I'll get to the point. If your friends find out what our family does for a living, their lives will be in danger. Since you're the famous 'Sakuraba Haruto', you won't escape it. By tomorrow morning, the news of you being my son will have hit the press. It wouldn't surprise me if some of my enemies have already figured it out!"

This was starting to get a bit interesting.

"I don't want to be the one to call your friends' parents telling them they got themselves killed because you got them involved in our business dealings!"

My eyes widened at this. I stuttered, "Killed...why would they get killed?"

He shook his head at me, "That's exactly why I need to tell you in private. The less they know, the safer they'll be." He started chuckling, "I never thought I'd be the one saying that. Guess my little brother is rubbing off on me."

"Little brother, does this mean I have an uncle?" I asked him.

He laughed in response, "No. We just see each other as siblings. I have no brothers or sisters. It was always just me and my father."

I nodded my head. Then, I cleared my throat and asked him, "When can I know about this family business thing?"

He answered me, "I'll tell you whenever we're in private."

Suddenly, Shogun's voice broke into our conversation, "I'd hate to break up the family reunion, but the team's expected to be back at school in the next twenty minutes."

My father nodded at him, "Understood, Shoji-san."

* * *

***back at school***

When we got back to school, Shin asked me, "What was that about?"

I tensed up a bit and said, "Just some family stuff...that's all, nothing to worry about." I tried to be as calm as possible despite the fact that I was inwardly freaking out. _What the hell was going on?_

Shin frowned, "Are you sure?"

I replied, "Of course I am, why wouldn't I be? I've got no reason to lie."

Well, at least I don't THINK I have a reason to lie...unless my dad's involved in the mafia or something like that. Oh, wait...didn't Takami say that my father would most likely try to take me to Italy? I'm sure he did say something about that. Isn't Italy where the mafia originated...oh my god! That's the family business he was talking about...he's in the fucking mafia.

Shit! No wonder he wanted to tell me in private...if people found out, their whole family would be in danger.

He said he wanted to meet me after our practice game against the Zokugaku Chameleons. I just hope I'm wrong about the whole mafia thing.

The coach had made us change into our warm-ups before we left the school, so now that we were back, we were going to change into our school uniforms so we could leave for the day.

Shin was the first one to finish, but he stayed to wait for Takami and I. When we were all done, the three of us left the locker room. I'm not sure if the others noticed, but when we turned the corner, it seemed like there was someone following us. There wasn't really much to say about him except that he was dressed quite professionally; the suit he was wearing looked pretty expensive as well. I don't know why, but I have a feeling he has something to do with that so-called business my father had been talking to me about.

_Please be wrong, please be wrong, please be wrong!_

While we were walking away from the school, the three of us were stopped by someone - possibly the person that was following us - who asked us if we had any recent trouble.

Takami asked them, "Why do you care?"

The man replied, "The son of one of my boss's close friends was recently discovered to be attending Oujo. I was hoping that you would be friends with the recently found Cavallone heir."

This surprised me, and I made it known. "Me? Why would you care about what happens to me? Worry about your own family!"

He just smirked, "The company I work for see each other as family. Our boss is practically brothers with the head of the Cavallone family, so, by extension - you are family!"

I frowned, "That makes no sense!"

He laughed, "You'll understand soon, young Cavallone."

The man turned around and took out a cellphone. He called someone and said, "Avevi ragione, è il famoso Sakuraba Haruto. Egli doens't sembrano credere che le famiglie Vongola e Cavallone sono stretti alleati però. Potremmo essere costretti a guardare fuori per questo." **(English Translation: You were right, he is the famous Sakuraba Haruto. He doesn't seem to believe that the Vongola and Cavallone families are close allies though. We might have to watch out for that.)**

He stayed on the phone for a few more minutes before finally hanging up and walking away, leaving us dumbfounded. It seems I was right about him being related to my father's business, but I was still left with more questions than answers.

Shin and Takami turned to me and said, "We're following you to meet your dad next week."

I just nodded before I told them, "Make sure nobody can see you...he doesn't really want anyone else to know anything about it. I don't know why he's so adamant about keeping the family business a secret from the team, and I'm a little worried about it. I'd rather have you two there, even if it is in secret. Just don't bring Otawara with you because then he'll know people followed us and we won't learn anything!"

The two of them agreed and we went our separate ways. Right now, there was only one thing going through my mind.

_I really hope they don't hate me if I end up being right about that mafia thing._


	4. Enter Yamamoto Takeshi

** Shin's Point of View **

I sighed morosely. Football isn't any fun unless you're going up against an opponent that's actually somewhat of a challenge. Zokugaku must be one of the weakest teams in the high school football world. I didn't even break a sweat during the game.

 ***BEGIN FLASHBACK*  
** The announcer's voice rang throughout the stadium, "Oujo easily makes a return touchdown! Zokugaku is now on offense, will they be able to tie up the score, or fail miserably?"

It was too easy to crush their offense. They couldn't even get a first down.

That's how the entire game went, almost. When we were on offense, our punt returner would make the touchdown - or Sakuraba would. I even made a few touchdowns just from interceptions.

How disappointing...even Deimon's more challenging.  
 ***END FLASHBACK***

Why is it that there are no more decent opponents?

** Haruto's Point of View **

It looks like Shin's moping over how easy the game was...again. The final score against Zokugaku ended up being 98 - 0, favoring Oujo. It seems that he's been like this at almost every game since the game against Deimon in the Spring.

Did Sena really bother him that much when he finally got past Shin's Spear Tackle?

Well, on the bright side, maybe he'll be able to convince the coach to organize practice matches against more challenging opponents.

Someone behind me suddenly cleared their throat, freaking me out. "What do you want?"

They calmly replied, "You did say that Shin and I could go with you to meet your father."

Oh, it's just Takami-senpai! I almost for got about him, but what's this about him meeting my father, along with Shin? I don't remember saying anything like that...I scratched the back of my neck in confusion, "Did I?"

He nodded, :"You did. Right after that one Italian guy got off the phone with some other person who I assume is also Italian."

I muttered under my breath, "Oh, right...how could I forget about that promise?" Then, I raised my voice and said, "Then let's change and get going already!"

* * *

***twenty minutes later***

Takami's still changing...what's taking him so long? I yelled out in frustration, "If you're not ready in five minutes, we're leaving without you!"

A figure rushed out of the locker room; it was Takami-senpai. He panted, "Why are you in such a hurry, anyway?"

I screamed at him, "Because the place I'm supposed to be meeting my father at is all the way by Namimori High!"

He blinked, "Why would he want to meet you there?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "How should I know? I just know that he's expecting me there by 3PM, it's a thirty-minute bus ride, it's already 2:30, and it takes five minutes to even get to the bus stop from here."

He snorted, "Then why don't we just get in a wagon and have Shin drag us over there?"

I answered, "Because he's expecting me to be by mys-"

I was cut off by Shin lifting Takami and I over his shoulders. Before I could ask him to put us down, he took off sprinting towards Namimori.

While he was running, I realized that Shin didn't know the exact location of where we needed to be. I tried to tell him, "Just go to the sushi shop!" However, by the time I finished my sentence - we were already at Namimori High School. My eyebrows twitched, "How did you get here so fast?"

Shin replied, "I jumped on top of a truck."

Why does that not surprise me?

A stranger's voice said, "Buon pomeriggio, signori." ( **English Translation: Good afternoon, gentlemen.)**

I asked the strange man, "Who are you?"

He chuckled, "Yamamoto Takeshi. If I remember correctly, you were supposed to be meeting your father at my family's sushi shop."

That's when I took out the directions my father gave me...and it confirmed what the man said. I was supposed to meet my father at Yamamoto Sushi. That doesn't answer the real question I want the answer to, though. I asked him, "How did you know to follow us?"

He smiled, "It was just a feeling." He paused for a moment and then added, "Come on, I'll give you and your friends a ride. If you trust them well enough to let one of them carry you all the way here, then your father will have no problem telling them what he needs to tell you."

I nodded, "Okay, just wait a minute." I turned around, calling out to Takami and Shin, "I've got us a ride, guys!"

They quickly hurried over to where I was standing, Takami arriving somewhat later than Shin. Takami inquired, "Why are we getting a ride? I thought your dad wanted to keep whatever he wanted to tell you a secret."

Yamamoto-san laughed, "Don't worry. The fact that one of you literally carried him all the way here will be enough to convince him that you two can be trusted. He didn't say anything last week because your whole team was there, and he could not tell which of his son's teammates were real friends." He paused a bit before continuing, "I assume you would have followed him anyway - but it's good to know that he trusts you enough to let you come. That's all Cavallone-sama will want to here."

Shin crossed his arms, "Really? Sakuraba made it seem like the whole thing was a big deal."

Yamamoto replied, "It is a big deal. If the wrong people find out that you knew what you are about to be told, then you and your families would be in danger. Haruto-kun hasn't got a choice; people already know who his father is." He turned to look at me, "Your bodyguard has been more alert lately, correct?"

I nodded.

He sighed, "That's no surprise. You've probably received some death threats along with your usual fan mail, but this time - the death threats are serious...people out there truly do want you dead. You were only two years old when you were kidnapped. Most children don't live past twenty-four hours, yet you're right here, alive and breathing. The family couldn't be more glad."

Takami then asked, "Why do you say 'the family'? Don't you mean 'your family'? You're not related to Sakuraba-kun, are you?"

Yamamoto-san shook his head, "Not really, no...but it'll make more sense once you talk to Cavallone-sama, so be patient for now." He tried to smile reassuringly after finishing his statement before saying, "Now get in the car, Cavallone-sama's probably worried sick." Then he opened the back doors of his car, along with the door to the passenger side. "Haruto-kun, you can sit up front."

I tried to tell him that it would be better for Takami-senpai to sit there, but he ended up just pushing me into the passenger seat. Takami and Shin had already taken their seats in the back at this point, and, now, all that was left was to start the car and head over to Yamamoto Sushi.

Yamamoto looked at me, then glanced at the back. He sighed and said, "Let's go, minna."


	5. He really is in the mafia...wait, is that Sena?!

** Yamamoto's Point of View **

To say that I was surprised by the fact two of Haruto's friends came with him to meet his father would be a lie. After all, Dino's a complete clutz when he's not around his subordinates - and I'm guessing that extends to his son, as well.

However, what does surprise me is how similar one of his friends is to Hibari - not in looks, but personality. I'll have to ask him if he has any nephews - or siblings, for that matter.

Seriously, it cannot be a coincidence for this Takami person to be so much like him. Sure, the kid doesn't give off such a deadly aura, but still...guess I'll just have to keep him away from Tsuna's son for as long as possible.

Tsuna's kid acts a lot like him - the difference being that the kid isn't constantly being called _dame_ (no-good). No, instead of being called no-good, he's just everyone's little errand boy. I wonder what his former bullies will say now - considering the fact that he's the son of one of the most powerful, or influential, men in the world. The kid's got speed though. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the fastest person alive.

I do feel bad for Haruto's other friend, though. He does look like he'd be a good cloud guardian for the next Vongola boss, though, so maybe it won't be too disastrous for him to know certain family secrets...like the fact that Haruto is going to be the next head of the Cavallone family - regardless of whatever he wants.

***at the sushi shop (Yamamoto Sushi)*  
**   
** Dino's Point of View **

What's taking them so long? It's unlikely that their game ran late. I had Romario look into it, and Zokugaku's American football team isn't exactly good. I was hoping I could introduce him to Tsuna and his son - whom he had recently discovered through the Family Reconstruction Act - so that the Cavallone family could keep their strong alliance with the Vongola.

Tsuna sighed, "Maybe he forgot about it, Dino."

I shook my head, "No. He looked happy when I made the plans with him. He's just running a bit late, that's all."

He laughed and said, "I doubt that...unless he tried running here, of course."

I chuckled, "Don't say that. Nobody, besides your son, would try to run here."

The aforementioned son sunk into his seat. Tsuna ruffled his hair, saying, "Ignore him, Sena."

Tsuna's son wanted to go by his adopted name since that's the name he went by since he was a year old. Did I mention that Tsuna's kid had been kidnapped around the same time that my kid went missing? If I remember correctly, it was a few months before my kid was taken - it's why I was so sure that Tsuna would try everything he could to find my son; after all, I would do the same for him.

** Yamamoto's Point of View **

I parked in front of my family's sushi shop. It was time for the moment of truth. I just hope to God that I'm right about Dino being okay with Haruto bringing his two friends with him.

** Haruto's Point of View **

Shin, Takami, and I followed Yamamoto-san into the sushi shop. Sitting at a table in the back of the restaurant were three people: my father, another man wearing a rather expensive suit, and Sena-kun?

Shin looked at me and asked, "What's Eyeshield doing here?"

Takami answered for me, "How is Sakuraba supposed to know? Besides, I'm sure that his father will explain it for us."

I agreed with what he said, "That's right. He probably has something to do with what my father does in Italy"

Takami nodded at my statement.

My father called us to his table, "Over here, Haruto."

The three of us, along with Yamamoto-san, walked over to the table and took a seat.

I turned to my father and asked him, "What's this about, anyway? And why is Sena here?"

He blinked, "You know Sena?" I nodded and then he continued, "That's one less introduction I have to make then." He sighed and then pointed to the man sitting on the other side of him, "Haruto, this is my little brother, Sawada Tsunayoshi - Tsuna, for short - and his son, whom you've already met."

I was confused again, so I responded with another question, "How could Sena be his son, though? His last name is Kobayakawa, not Sawada."

He replied, "The same way you are. He was taken from his home just a few months you were taken from ours."

Takami cut into our conversation, "Can we just get to the point? I doubt that's the reason you wanted to meet Sakuraba in Namimori instead of somewhere closer to Oujo."

My father's friend stood up and said, "You want the truth, fine." He then took out a cellphone, dialed someone's phone number into it, and after a few seconds said, "Hibari, get over here!"

Takami was surprised when he heard what Sawada-san said. He made it clear when he said, "When you say Hibari, you don't mean Hibari Kyoya, do you?"

Sawada-san replied, "Yes, that's who I was talking to. He works for me, after all."

Takami raised his voice and asked, "You were the boss that my uncle was referring to?"

Sawada nodded in response. He then said, "Your uncle will explain things in more detail."

Yamamoto-san laughed, making me remember that he was still here, "Well, now I don't have to ask him if he has any siblings since he obviously has at least one sister."

The sound of a door opening and closing caught my attention. It was another man in an expensive suit. He walked towards our table, and when he got here, he looked at Takami and asked, "How's your leg, Ichiro?"

Takami responded, "It's doing fine, oji-san."

The man nodded and turned to Sawada-san. He raised his eyebrow and asked, "What's this about?"

Sawada-san replied, "Your nephew wants to know the truth about what the family really does, Hibari."

The newly dubbed, Hibari-san, responded, "Why not ask your little dog to do the explanations, then?"

Sawada-san answered, "Because he'd be more likely to believe you."

Hibari nodded. He then turned to us and said, "Long story, short. Cavallone and Sawada are mafia."

Takami and I yelled, "MAFIA!" Shin just stood there, stoic as ever - almost as if he was expecting it.

I turned to Shin and asked, "How are you not freaking out?"

He replied stoically, "Deimon manager caught Deimon Quarterback-san hacking into our school database a few days ago. Everything about you was undisclosed. I assumed it was something to do with your father - especially since manager-san said something about him muttering 'fucking Cavallone'."

I think my eye just twitched. How the hell would Hiruma know anything?

Sawada-san asked Shin, "You mean Hiruma Yoichi?" Shin nodded. Sawada-san sighed, "I should have known better than to have Reborn find my son's storm guardian...he probably gave the kid everything he needed to get dirt on people." Then, Sawada-san turned to me and said, "Sorry about that."

I replied, "It doesn't matter, but what's a storm guardian?"

Hibari-san answered for him, "One of the Vongola Boss's six most trusted subordinates. There are seven Vongola rings: Sky, which is reserved for the boss; Storm, continuously at the heart of the attack, the furious storm that never rests; Rain, to become a blessed shower that settles conflict and washes everything away; Sun, destroying the misfortune that attacks the Famiglia with their own body, they become the Sun that brightly shines upon an area; Cloud, to be the aloof, drifting Cloud that protects the Family from an independent standpoint, and whom nothing can ever bind; Lightning, to draw damage to himself and away from the rest of the Famiglia, serving as a lightning rod; and Mist, creating something from nothing, and nothing from something; thus bewildering the enemy, to render the Famiglia's true form intangible with visions of deceit. The mist is usually the least trustworthy of the most trustworthy, but is still easily relied on. The current Vongola Mist Guardian is stuck in Vendicare prison, though...so we have to rely on someone else to fulfill the role until we can find a way to get him out of there."

I muttered, "So Sena's the sky and Hiruma's the storm...he seems to fit the position of mist a bit more."

Hibari-san apparently heard me, though, and said, "There's a reason Deimon focuses on offense. His trick plays might make you think he's more suited to be the mist, but there's more to him than trickery. I'm sure Sena can see it, and I'm sure he's happy with the identity of his storm guardian."

We all turned to Sena - only to hear the opposite of what we expected from him, "I'd trust Hiruma with my life."


	6. A challenge

** Haruto's Point of View **

Am I hearing things? Did I just hear Sena say he'd trust HIRUMA with his life? The guy's a demon in disguise (a bad disguise, at that). I glanced at Shin. He had the same stoic look on his face, but I could tell he was just as surprised as I was - he seems to be a bit worried for Sena, as well.

Takami voiced both of our concerns, "Are you nuts? That guy is the devil. Didn't he blackmail most of your teammates into joining the Devil Bats?"

Sena replied, "Technically he only blackmailed two of them...the other three that he 'blackmailed' ended up actually wanting to continue so he burned the blackmail he had on them."

Takami responded to him by saying, "Who cares if the blackmail was burned? They were still blackmailed, which means almost half your team didn't want to be on the team in the first place!"

Sena just said, "He's right behind you."

Shin, Takami, and I looked behind us to see Hiruma, in the flesh, with that creepy grin on his face.

He laughed, "Kekeke...do you have a problem with how the fucking chibi's guardians were chosen?"

Shin and I shook our heads. Er, well, I shook my head while Shin said, "Nani? I don't remember saying anything. I don't know what you're talking about."

Takami, on the other hand, just stood there - as if he was frozen. I waved my hand in front of him. Shin just spear tackled him from the back, which snapped him out of whatever weird trance he was in. He coughed, turned to Hiruma, and then said, "You actually knew who he was from the beginning - before that whole FRA thing?"

Hiruma laughed again, "Of course. I have spies everywhere."

I asked him, "Aren't they technically Sena's spies? You are his subordinate after all."

He replied, "Not until the chibi accepts the position of Vongola Undicesimo."

Sena's father, Sawada-san, cut into the conversation, "Sena also needs to find his other three guardians."

** Sena's Point of View **

Did he just say three? I thought I needed to find four more. My sun guardian is obvious, and he already mentioned that Hiruma was storm - but what about the others?

I turned to my father and said, "I know Hiruma is storm, and Monta is sun - but who's the other one?"

Hibari-san answered, "Think about it, Sena-kun. Your third guardian is in this very room. He's helped you get stronger without even knowing it."

My eyes widened. I stuttered a bit before saying, "You're not referring to Shin-san, are you?"

My father, Hibari-san, and Cavallone-san all nodded. My father said, "Shin-san is the cloud."

Hibari-san added onto my father's statement, "Don't act like you didn't already know when I told you about the roles of the different guardians. You realized who your storm, sun, and cloud guardians were before I finished talking. And you already know who your other guardians are, as well - you just don't want to admit it."

Cavallone-san also spoke, "That's another reason for this meeting. The Cavallone family has always been allies with the Vongola. My son and his friends will help you find your other four guardians - it's rather surprising to me that one of them is also your cloud guardian, but we'll use it to our advantage." He turned to Shin-san, Sakuraba-san, and Takami-san. He said to them, "Hiruma-kun and Sena-kun might be your rivals in football - but right now, they're your allies." He looked Takami-san in the eye, "Your uncle might be Tsuna's cloud guardian, but that doesn't mean your not expendable - if you don't do your part, we'll get rid of you." He turned to Shin-san and Sakuraba-san, "I don't think I need to warn you two about what will happen if things go wrong." To Shin-san, he said, "Make sure that all of the candidates for each of the other guardian positions will be loyal to the family."

Shin-san asked all three of them, "What about myself, Hiruma, and Monta?"

My father answered him, "That's unneeded. My own personal staff already ensured that the three of you would be loyal."

Shin-san nodded in response.

** Haruto's Point of View **

So I would have met Sena-kun even if the two of us weren't kidnapped when we were young? That's interesting. I guess I might as well help the guy.

I told Hibari-san, Sawada-san, and my father, "It might help if we knew who the potential candidates were."

Hibari-san replied, "We'll name the candidates, but it's your job to determine who's best for the role of rain, mist, or lightning guardian. There's multiple candidates for each position, so listen carefully."

Sawada said, "For rain, we have: Kakei Shun, Yamato Takeru, and Honjou Taka."

My father said, "For lightning, the candidates are: Akaba Hayato, Hosokawa Ikkyu, Mizumachi Kengo, and Kaitani Riku."

Yamamoto-san reminded us that he was still here when he said said, "Finally, for the mist, we have only two candidates: Kongo Agon and Kongo Unsui."

Takami-san said to them, "That's not much help. Plus, how exactly are we supposed to determine whether or not any of these people would actually be trustworthy. Also, I'll tell you right now - Agon will probably scare the shit out of Sena, so he'll most likely pick Unsui; even if he did choose Agon, Unsui would offer to take the position from him so Agon could pursue American football." He paused for a moment and then said, "Also, what's with lightning having the most candidates? There's no way Mizumachi would be cut out for this - he's too childish. Ikkyu would probably find Monta annoying, like most people do. Kaitani-kun, on the other hand, is too cocky and would ask why he wasn't the first person picked."

Shin interrupted Takami-san, "Kaitani is Eyeshield's childhood friend."

Takami-san continued, "Even if they're childhood friends, I doubt Kaitani could be trusted with this - not unless Hiruma blackmails him. The only logical choice would be Akaba."

I asked him, "What about the rain candidates?"

Takami-san responded, "I don't know much about Yamato-san or Honjou-san, but I can tell that Kakei-kun would be suited for this position."

I nodded and said, "Maybe we can ask Hiruma to look into their backgrounds."

Shin nodded in agreement.

Hiruma said, "Keke...I already looked into it. Honjou Taka is the son of the fucking monkey's idol, so if he's asked for an opinion - he'd automatically say that he should be picked. Yamato Takeru is the real Eyeshield 21." Shin raised his eyebrow at this statement. Hiruma kept on speaking, "What? Did you think I just made everything up? No, I just gave the chibi the bastard's background when the slaves asked. I didn't bother with Kakei since I learned enough during the game against Kyoshin."

Takami-san sighed, "It's Sena's decision in the end, no matter what we say."

That reminded me...we didn't even get Sena's opinion yet. I asked Sena, "So, what do you think?"

Sena replied, "I'll need some more time before choosing. I'd rather meet the Kongo siblings in person before deciding on the mist guardian. As for lightning, I definitely need a lot of time to think about that. I don't want Riku getting mad if I don't pick him, even though I agree Akaba-san would be better for the job. If I don't make it look like I at least considered him, he'd be upset, which I don't like. I wanna meet Yamato-san and Honjou-san before deciding my rain guardian."

Hiruma snorted, "Keh. Who cares what the other fucking midget thinks?"

Sena shrieked, "I do!"

"June 20th," stated Sawada-san. He looked at all of us before he continued, "Also known as the summer solstice. It will be the deadline for you to choose your guardians. You may feel free to change them at any point beforehand, but once you have given them the rings - there is no more going back. Two months after your guardians have received their Vongola rings, Sena, is when we'll perform the inheritance ceremony. You are my _only_ heir, and therefore, the only one eligible to take over the Vongola family."

Sawada-san got up from his chair, along with Hibari-san and Yamamoto-san. Yamamoto-san looked back at us and said, "Don't push each other away, you're family now."

Hibari-san also said, "Stay strong. Don't be hasty when choosing your guardians, Sena. Ichiro, quit trying to act like you know what's best for the Vongola; you may be my nephew, but there's a reason you aren't one of the guardian candidates."

Takami-san asked Hibari-san, "Then why was I allowed to come?"

Hibari-san answered him, "I'm not saying you'll have no position in the Vongola. The bucking bronco and the omnivore would have made you leave if that were the case. You'll find out why you weren't kicked out at the inheritance ceremony. However, we may send some people to help in the future - and you might meet your predecessor."

With Hibari-san's statement, the three men left - leaving Hiruma, Takami-san, Shin, Sena, and me with my father.

I heard my father mutter these words: "You practically gave it away, Hibari."


	7. Yamato Takeru...did you just say yakuza?

** Haruto's Point of View **

This is getting nowhere.

No, really, it's getting nowhere.

Well, maybe it'll be easier if I start from the beginning.

 ***BEGIN FLASHBACK*  
** I asked Takami, "How are we supposed to learn about about Yamato-san and Honjou-san?"

He quickly responded, "By sneaking into their practice, of course."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Of course that's how we'll - wait, what? How the hell are we going to do that?"

That was when Hiruma made his presence known, starting with his demonic laugh. "Kekeke...we'll be taking advantage of those so-called acting skills that Jari Pro should have hammered into your head."

Sena seemed to get worried, which was only made clearer when he asked Hiruma, "How will we do that? By having him pose as a student at their school?"

At this, both Takami and Hiruma smirked. Hiruma proceeded to laugh again before he said, "Of course, you fucking midget!"

I turned to Shin giving him a look that I hoped he would understand. In case he didn't, I also mouthed at him, "Help me!"  
 ***END FLASHBACK***

Of course, he was no help even when he tried - because I still ended up being forced to pose as a Teikoku student. Then again, this was Hiruma's idea. His plans tend to work out well, so I'll just go with it until someone comes up with a better plan to learn about these people.

_Why couldn't I have a normal father? I just wanted to be normal, but no...I got stuck with a mafia boss for a father - and another one as a surrogate uncle. I just can't seem to catch a break._

"Hello, are you new here?" An unfamilliar voice broke me out of my thoughts.

I replied to them, "Cavallone Gino. I just transferred here."

He responded, "The long-lost son of the Cavallone Corporation in Italy? I heard about you about ten years ago. I thought the search was called off? By the way, I'm Yamato Takeru."

I quickly said, "It was because of that FRA thing...speaking of which, you look a lot like one of my uncle Tsuna's employees."

He raised an eyebrow at me, "Really now? I'll have to look into that. I'm afraid I've never heard of your uncle."

I muttered under my breath, "Vongola."

He gulped and asked, "Did you just say Vongola? How is he associated with them? How are _you_ associated with them?"

_Finally, something he doesn't know!_

I chuckled, "Why are you so tense? Vongola is just the name of his company that he inherited from his ancestors. It's been very successful since he took over."

He sighed, "Okay, for a second there, I thought your 'uncle' was part of the Vongola mafia family."

_That's because he's the boss of the Vongola mafia_ _**famiglia** _ _, baka. Let's not forget, my father's the head of one of his strongest allies...but still this is troublesome. He's hiding something._

Suddenly, my phone rang. I turned to Yamato-san and excused myself before walking to a more secluded area to answer the call.

"Moshi-moshi."

_**"Sakuraba."** _

"Yes, Takami-senpai?"

 _ **"What have you learned about Honjou Taka and Yamato Takeru so far?"**_  
 _ **  
**_"Nothing on Honjou-san, but Yamato-san seems to be hiding something. I muttered 'Vongola' and he started freaking out. There's a chance he might already know about Sena's inevitable fate."

_**"That will be troublesome, indeed. I'm passing the phone to Hiruma, he's got some information you'll need."** _

"Wakatta."

_**"Oi, fucking model. Watch out for Koizumi Karin. She's related to fucking yakuza. That means if you see her, you fucking run for your life. The yakuza family she's part of is small-time, but we can't risk it. The fucking monkey's idol can't know you're mafia because then he'll find a way to take us all out of the running."** _

"How would that happen?"

_**"He's the fucking head of the Kansai High School Football Association. He gets dirt on either of our team members, NEITHER of us go to the Christmas Bowl."** _

"Well, this just got a whole lot harder - she's just now arriving at the team practice."

_**"Run...now."** _

"Yosh. I'll try to be back soon."

_**"Get the fucking fuck away from there before she fucking sees you."** _

"I know, Hiruma."

_**"Then why are you still there?"** _

"Because you won't hang up the phone."

_**"Then hang it up yourself!"** _

"FINE!"

I closed my cell phone and immediately started walking away from the school's football field when I heard someone scream at me - or at least, I think he was screaming at me.

"Hey, look, it's the Italian kid!"

_I'm only half-Italian, you bastards._

With that thought, I ignored whoever pointed me out and kept walking away. I can't let that Koizumi girl know that I'm here.

** Yamato's Point of View **

"That's weird. He didn't seem to mind talking to me before he answered his phone," I said to my teammates.

Taka, who's also my best friend, replied, "Maybe he just doesn't like you."

I responded, "I don't know...he was fine when I met him two minutes ago."

Karin added in, "It also looked like he only left because I got here, I wonder why..."

Taka snorted at that, "He probably hates you, then."

Karin was irritated by that, and she made it known. "Why would he hate me? I never even met the guy."

Taka raised his eyebrow at her, "Maybe he heard rumors about you and decided to leave before he found out they were true."

"What rumors?" Karin asked.

Taka answered her, "The ones about you throwing a football at Takeru's you-know-what when you when he made you try out for the team."

I yelled in protest, "Don't bring _that day_ into this conversation."

"Don't feel embarassed, Takeru-kun," our resident idiot, Aki Reisuke, chimed in.

I chortled at him, "Shut up, you baka."

Taka facepalmed and sighed, "Where do you think that new kid went, anyway?"

Aki replied, "To find his fellow Italians, of course."

I screamed at him, "He's referring to where he used to go to school, dumbass."

Taka confirmed my statement, "What Takeru said."

Aki just stood there, dumbfounded, and said, "Oh."

I yelled at him again, "Oh, you ask that stupid question, and all you can say is 'oh' - we should cut you before we even go to the Kansai Tournament!"

I would have yelled at him even more, but Karin interrupted me before I could by exclaiming, "Calm down, Takeru!"

Suddenly, Karin's cell phone rang. She had an American song as a ringtone, but I think I'm the only one in this school that can understand what's being said. I don't know who sings it, but all I know is that it's annoying - and that it keeps saying something about a "superbass," whatever that is.

** Karin's Point of View **

I answered my cell phone shortly after it started ringing; at the same time, I was walking away from my teammates to a more secluded area.

"Moshi moshi."

_**"Koizumi-sama, we looked into that transfer student you asked about."** _

"What did you find out?"

_**"He's the son of Cavallone Dino - that means that, publically, he's the heir to the Cavallone Corporation in Italy; in reality, he's the next person to become the boss of the Cavallone famiglia."** _

"Cavallone famiglia?"

_**"He's part of the mafia, Koizumi-sama."** _

"What would the mafia be infiltrating my school for?"

_**"The Cavallone are the most trusted allies of the Vongola - the strongest mafia in the world. He was probably looking into possible candidates for Vongola Undicesimo's guardians - a highly coveted position among mafioso."** _

"Ah, but who would interest them here?"

_**"Well, considering the rumors about who Undicesimo is and who the Cavallone heir is, it's safe to say that they were most likely looking at your friend, Yamato."** _

"Nani? Takeru-kun? But what would they want with him?"

_**"He's one of those people that can easily settle conflict, you've seen that in action - haven't you? I also wouldn't be surprised if the kid was a natural assassin, common among the Vongola rain guardians."** _

"Really...demo, wouldn't that mean they'd look into Taka-kun, too? He's just as good as Takeru-kun in settling conflicts..."

_**"The person they sent to look into Yamato probably wanted to investigate Honjou, too - your presence must have caused them to leave early."** _

"So I was the reason for his early departure...hmm, anyway, do you know where he used to go to school? I was talking about it earlier with my teammates."

_**"Ojo Private Senior High School. That was all I could find from the information I was actually able to get about his education. I suspect he might have been part of the Ojo White Knights, but I could be wrong. It doesn't say a damn thing about athletics here...wait, what's this? Jari Productions...do you know anything about that?"** _

"The transfer student worked for Jari Productions? Then, that must mean...anyway, I'll call you if I need anymore info, ja ne."

I hung up the phone and walked back towards my teammates. I called out to them, "I found out where the new kid used to go to school."

Takeru raised his eyebrow at what I said, "Really, that was fast. Exactly how did you do it?"

I replied to him, "That doesn't matter right now. Anyway, he used to attend Ojo."

Aki responded, "But I thought he was from Italy?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "He was probably born there, but couldn't you tell that he spent most of his life here, in Japan?"

Takeru grinned widely and said, "I could!"

On the other hand, Taka just nodded to show that he could also see that Cavallone-san spent most of his life in Japan. Then, he frowned, and said, "Then, it's possible he was here just to spy on our practice to help out his old teammates."

Aki laughed at Taka, "We don't know he was on the White Knights."

I sighed, "He was on the White Knights - you might know him better as Sakuraba Haruto."

Taka asked me, "Wasn't he that model all the girls in your class would drool over?"

I nodded, "Yes, it's the same guy - not sure how that relates, though."

Takeru said, "Then we don't need to worry. Shinryuji always beats Ojo anyway, so we won't have to deal with them - and Ojo's easy to beat for us."

I sighed, "It's not Ojo I'm worried about."

Takeru asked me, "Then why are you worrying?"

I answered, "There's a chance he might be involved in the same thing some of my relatives do, that's all..."

Takeru laughed, "Why would you be worried about that?"

Taka answered him, "Her relatives are yakuza."

Takeru stopped laughing and said, "Oh."

I looked him in the eye and said, "Oh, now you see why I'm worried."


	8. Guardian Speculation Pt 1: Interrupted

**Yamato's Point of View  
**  
How did it come to this?

I know Karin is worried about me and Taka given that some mafioso is interested in us, but this is taking it too far. It's not like they've tried recruiting us...yet. Even if they did, shouldn't it be _our_ descision?

Plus, there's no proof that the mafia wants us to work for them - so there's really no point in doing this.

I groaned, "I know you're worried, Karin...but that doesn't explain why we're wearing dresses!"

She snapped at me, "The dresses will prevent those mafia bastards from knowing that you and Taka are the boys that they're observing."

I rolled my eyes at her, "Well, right now - working for them seems a lot more appealing than working for you."

She growled, "The mafia is full of greedy, power-hungry bastards."

I snorted, "And the yakuza isn't?"

She didn't reply after that...but she still had her men tailing me and Taka so we couldn't take off the stupid dresses.

* * *

****Haruto's Point of View  
  
Shin, Takami, and I were sitting in Happy Burger with Monta, Hiruma, and Sena. All of us, except Shin and Hiruma - who was typing something on his laptop - were calmly eating our food when Sena suddenly started laughing. Takami gave him a cold look and asked, "What's so funny?"

Sena pointed out the window and said, "There are two guys outside wearing dresses."

Takami quickly looked outside before he replied with another question, "How do you know those two aren't girls?"

Sena just blinked and said, "My only friend growing up was a girl - so it's not _that_ hard to tell the difference...an actual girl seemed to be yelling at one of them earlier, though."

I asked, "Was it a blonde wearing a Teikoku uniform?"

He nodded, "I wonder why they'd be so far away from Osaka, though."

I frowned, "Koizumi Karin is here in Tokyo? That can't be good for us."

Hiruma scoffed, "Of course, it isn't. That's why we're sitting the booth furthest from the window - even if she can see us, she probably can't hear us...plus, this establishment is considered part of our territory since you work for Jari Productions again. If she even walks in here, you could have her kicked out."

I almost screamed, "What?! Why would they kick someone out just because I asked?"

He replied, "They make more money if they work with you."

I sighed in frustration, "But I don't model anymore!"

He chortled, "They don't give a damn about that. Your fucking father and Jari Pro pay them to give you special treatment. You're lucky that your father doesn't own the place - if he did, it would be empty."

I groaned, "Can we move on with the meeting already? I'd rather not be the one constantly worrying about the yakuza tailing me."

He laughed and said, "Fine. They probably already noticed us anyway...so tell us what you learned about Yamato."

I coughed and replied, "He _seems_ nice enough, but he's connected to Koizumi Karin which you should already be aware of. I'm not too sure we can trust him to protect Sena. But, judging by what Sena pointed out earlier, it seems like Koizumi is trying to force him and possibly Honjou-san into working for her family."

He narrowed his eyes in what seemed to be anger, "In other words, there's a chance he would choose to side with us if he was given the chance."

I nodded before I said, "However, we would have to reveal the truth about how the Vongola started in order for that to happen."

Shin finally spoke up, "No."

I gave him a look of disbelief, "Shin..."

He gave me a hard look before he said, "I usually don't condone dishonesty, but we cannot tell him anything until we know for a fact that he will become Eyeshield's rain."

Takami sighed, "It might be the only way to get him on our side, though."

In response to Takami, all Shin said, "Then we won't need him."

Before Takami and I could respond, Hiruma said, "He's right. If the pipsqueak has to tell him his family history just to gain his loyalty, there's no reason for us to want him. Kakei and all the Lightning candidates, except Ikkyu, already trust Sena to an extent which already puts them ahead of the others."

Sena said, "Hiruma's right. I'd rather have a guardian that can trust me without knowing all my family secrets than one that can't. I'd rather meet all of them for myself before making any decisions."

I was about to respond when the door chimed to signal that a new customer had arrived. I turned to see who it was and was not happy about who had just walked in. I turned back to the others and said to Sena, "Looks like you might get your chance...if we can get Koizumi away."

He looked down before he softly said, "So I was right about her coming in."

Hiruma suddenly closed his laptop and stood up, "We'll have to move this meeting elsewhere...we can't discuss this with them here."

As he stood up, Takami asked, "Then, where are we supposed to discuss this?"

Hiruma threw a piece of paper at us and replied, "Pipsqueak's underground lair."

Monta, having finally finished his food, turned to Sena and asked, "You have an underground lair?"

Sena rubbed the back of is neck and replied, "This is my first time hearing about it, actually."

Takami sighed, "Can we just leave already? Koizumi and some of her lackeys are already looking this way."

I softly said, "Takami-senpai, they already left."

Takami growled, "Fucking Hiruma!"

* * *

** Sena's Point of View **

We took the bus to a somewhat remote area of Namimori, one that seemed to be under construction. Once we stepped off the bus, we walked into an 'abandoned' factory. When we entered, Hiruma pulled down some sort of lever and the floor of the factory seemed to turn into an elevator .

When we reached the bottom, it seemed as if we were now in some sort of tunnel. Hiruma lead us until we reached a mechanical door.

He turned to me and said, "You'll have to do this part, pipsqueak. Shin, Monta, and I won't be in the database until the inheritance ceremony."

I gulped and asked, "What am I supposed to do?"

He rolled his eyes and answered, "Just stand in front of the door and put your hand on that panel on the right."

I did what he said and was shocked when the door suddenly opened. In fact, I was so shocked that he had to push me through the door which had now closed behind us.

I was even more shocked when some tall blond guy came running behind some robot. The guy and his robot stopped when he saw us. He had a small smile on his face when he said to me, "Welcome home, Vongola Undicesimo."

I stuttered out a reply, "Okaeri."

Hiruma brought out one of his guns and pointed it at him before he asked, "Who are you?"

The blond guy with the robot calmly answered, "I'm one of the engineers. My name's Spanner."

Hiruma put his gun away and replied, "Where's the closest conference room?"

The newly dubbed Spanner responded, "Second hallway on your right, first door on your left."

Hiruma nodded at him and proceeded to lead us to the conference room Spanner told us about. This time, the door opened without any type of scanning system. When we walked in, Hiruma pushed me towards a chair that for some reason was labeled with 'XI' despite the fact that I had yet to agree to become the boss, but I suppose I really did have no choice if I really am the only heir to this creepy family.

Once I sat down, Hiruma took the seat to my right and Monta took the seat to my left. Shin sat across from me, while Takami and Sakuraba sat across from Hiruma and Monta respectively. Hiruma connected his laptop to the computer in front of him and brought all our monitors to life.

He pulled up several documents containing notes about all the potential guardian candidates. He looked around the room and said, "Let's begin. The pipsqueak's father is probably watching us from somewhere so we need to look like we're actually doing something."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Updated poll results below.
> 
> RAIN  
> Kakei - 6  
> Yamato - 3  
> Taka - 1
> 
> LIGHTNING  
> Akaba - 6  
> Ikkyu - 0  
> Mizumachi - 0  
> Riku - 1
> 
> MIST  
> Agon - 4  
> Unsui - 3
> 
> I will not make my own votes unless there's a tie by the time the chapter where the guardian is decided. Not sure what order it'll be in, yet. Yamato has not come into the series at this point, which means the Christmas Bowl has not yet happened. I want to re-read those chapters before deciding what Sena will think of him and Taka. Hiruma technically has his mind made up already, you just don't know who he picks. Having the most votes does not guarantee they'll be guardian. It's mostly to see who would be well-received by writers. Your opinions are considered, don't worry about that. I'm just saying if votes are close, it can go either way. Sakuraba's choices will be the winner, but I'll be asking other Es21/KHR fans who would be best out of the candidates if votes are close. There's a poll in the profile too, so be sure to vote there! You can only vote once in the poll, but you can vote through reviews for every new chapter that gets uploaded.


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